Patrik Laine reportedly set to leave Canadiens, with one team strongly in the lead

Patrik Laine may be spending his last hours as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. According to a report around the NHL ahead of the trade deadline, a cross-continent organization is now in the lead to acquire the Finnish goalscorer.

It hasn’t been an easy NHL season for Laine. The elite goalscorer, who once put up 44 goals in the 2017-18 campaign, has dealt with an injury year-round, which hindered his productivity during a contract year with the Canadiens. Laine has been weighing his options with Montreal, but the writing may have been on the wall for a while now.

Reports suggest the Habs have had enough and are ready to move on. For Montreal, it might be now or never; if Laine is still in town after the March 6th trade deadline, the Canadiens will likely lose him to unrestricted free agency this summer. Although the league is wary of Laine’s availability, teams are calling Montreal to ask about him with the Los Angeles Kings reportedly in the mix.

“Trade talk surrounding Canadiens winger Patrik Laine has picked up a little more, and I’m told the Los Angeles Kings are circling back on him,” insider David Pagnotta reported on his X account. “Other teams in the mix, too. We’ll see if Montreal retains 50% of his $8.7M AAV, but expectations remain high that he’ll be moved this week.“

Patrik Laine at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Laine and his 2025-26 season with the Canadiens

Entering the final season of his four-year, $34.8 million contract, Laine knew it would take elite production in 2025-26 to earn an extension in The City of Saints. Though Montreal is the world’s most populous freshwater island, there seems to be no water left for Laine’s windmill.

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Laine has appeared in only five games this season and has yet to return to the lineup after undergoing core muscle surgery in late October. Trading Laine away would also free up much-needed cap space ahead of the trade deadline. That may be especially useful, as the Canadiens reportedly eye a trade for a two-time Stanley Cup champion.

Kings and Laine could work out well

For Los Angeles—the Kings recently fired head coach Jim Hiller—such a gamble might be the only way to salvage its season. If the Habs indeed retain 50% of Laine’s salary, the risk is likely worth the reward. Worst-case scenario, the Kings miss the playoffs and Laine walks in July; that’d be no different than where the Kings currently stand. Thus, they have little left to lose.

Who knows? Perhaps Laine and Artemi Panarin can catch fire together. Every NHL fan remembers what happened one time the Kings made the playoffs as the bottom seed. History has a way of repeating itself, often when least expected.